Syrian Center for Policy Research:
The bulletin provides an independent assessment of consumer prices and the rate of inflation in all Syrian regions, based on a monthly survey of consumer prices carried out by the Syrian Center for Policy Research (SCPR) since October 2020. The SCPR had developed a methodology for building a price index based on components of consumer basket, weighting, and market selection (See SCPR’s Consumer Price Index in Syria)
This bulletin presents the findings of the monthly consumer price survey and the changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for February 2023 (with 2021 as the base year) broken down by region and the major consumption groups. Based on the CPI changes, the bulletin provides an estimate of the cost of living and poverty lines at local level in all Syrian regions.
The following results are highlighted:
- In February 2023, the general price index recorded annual inflation (Y-o-Y) at 87.3 per cent and monthly inflation (M-o-M) at 5.2 per cent.
- The governorates of Lattakia, Homs, Ar-Raqqa, Tartous, Al-Hasakeh, Aleppo, and Hama reported the highest monthly inflation rates, ranging between 5.6 and 7.2 per cent.
- The earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023, exerted inflationary pressures, causing an increase in the prices of commodities and services in the four earthquake-affected governorates (Idleb, Aleppo, Lattakia, and Hama). The monthly inflation rates in these areas ranged between 4.2 per cent and 7.2 per cent. The impact of the event on food prices was evident, with monthly food inflation ranging between 8.5 per cent and 9.6 per cent in the earthquake-affected governorates.
- The Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages group made the most substantial contribution to the monthly inflation (M-o-M) for the prices of February 2023, accounting for 55.9 per cent of the total increase of 5.2 per cent. This underscores the sensitivity of food commodity prices to disturbances and natural disasters, especially in areas affected by the earthquake that are primarily agricultural.
- In February 2023, the abject poverty line for families, serving as an indicator of food insecurity, rose to SYP 1.1 million per month. This marked an increase of SYP 43 thousand from January 2023. The lower poverty line reached SYP 1.73 million, representing a surge of SYP 70 thousand from the previous month. Additionally, the upper poverty line reached SYP 2.39 million, increasing from SYP 88 thousand in January.
- A comparison of nominal wages with monthly poverty lines at the Syria level in February 2023 reveals a widening wage gap. For university-educated employees in the public sector, the gap reached 78.4 per cent, while it was 66.6 per cent for private sector workers, and 3.8 per cent for civil society sector workers.
To read the bulletin in English:
Monthly Bulletin – Issue (2), 2023 (En)
To read the bulletin in Arabic:
Monthly Bulletin – Issue (2), 2023 (Ar)
